5 Romantic Islands To Visit

The world is a big place and it can seem even larger when you’re trying to choose a destination that is relaxing, affordable and most of all, romantic. There is no need to panic or even become overwhelmed when left to make such a choice. Millions before you have gone through the same dilemma and have made the following places top choices for their romantic air.

Tahitian Islands
Love can be romantic anywhere but the Tahitian Islands seem to be a top choice for love birds of all ages. Bora Bora has stolen the hearts of many for its laid-back atmosphere and magnificent ocean views. The fact that it’s so far away may be a positive factor as well.

Spain
A trip to Spain will often include sightseeing, festivals and feasts, which may not sound all that romantic however, a trip to Seville can be the romantic spot you’ve been searching for. It is in this Andalucian capital where extra enchantment can be enjoyed through visits to places like the Royal Palace of Seville. Seville is filled with heaps of stunning architecture and the streets are lined with quaint cafes and outstanding restaurants. For a little extra romance, book a room at the Hacienda Belaluza. Located in a sleepy village outside the city, this gorgeous accommodation has been converted from a Moorish household into a modern place of rest, luxury and lavishness.

Seychelles Islands
An enormously popular choice for amour is the Seychelles Islands. Located in the Indian Ocean,these islands have long been a popular choice for everyone who cares to make the trek. This area is also a favourite with many royals and is becoming an extremely trendy choice for honeymooners.

Desroches Island
Since you’re in the Seychelles Islands you may want to consider exploring a different island of pure exquisiteness. This would be the Desroches Island, which is referred to as an absolute couples paradise. Situated about 150 miles from the capital city of Mahe, this private island offers up the most pristine white, sandy beaches imaginable. Once you arrive via your 35-minute flight,you will notice there is only one accommodation on the entire island, so this may not be the best place for spontaneity. Make a reservation well in advance and enjoy the world’s most spectacular coral reefs, day spas, swimming pools and day-long naps under impressive palm trees.

Bali
If you want to head to southern Asia, book a flight for you and your sweetheart to the Indonesian Island of Bali. An island of pure romance, there is a lot to see and do that is sure to make your trip extra special. The island is filled with volcanic lakes, luxurious landscape and many cultural events that will always be remembered. The resort of Karma Kandara on the island’s southernmost tip is the best place to view classic Balinese architecture, which in reality, is pure luxury. Private villas can be rented here that are equipped with a private pool, tropical courtyard and private beach access.

Yang, is an Events Organiser at Chillisauce Ltd, who specialise in organising hen weekends and stag dos.  You can follow her on Twitter  and catch up with her on her FaceBook page.

Are You Fruity Enough to Grow A Fruit Tree ?

Growing up between London and Dubai – we were lucky to have a massive garden at home and it’s something I really miss out here in Bombay.  Such a simple thing – of being able to take a walk around in your own garden … which is probably one of the reasons I had my birthday party at my grandparents house which has a huge garden and sea facing !

In London – we had a really nice landscaped garden with a lot of fruit trees.  The apple trees were my favourite that bore juicy plump green apples (and also substituted for a ‘tree house’ for many trees). 

In Dubai – we had a mini fruit and vegetable market growing in our garden ! There was the vegetable patch which had tomatoes, carrots, onions, basil (or Tulsi as Indians know it), Neem, and even some bamboo plants (feng shui obviously)  but my favourite part of the garden was going to the Blackberry tree (or maybe it was Black beauty mulberry tree) and picking off the fruit and eating it right there !!

My aunt’s country house in Norway was always a delight because she would let us go out in the garden and sometimes into the woods so that we could pick fresh strawberries and blueberries – to make our own jam out of it !

I wish I had a garden out here … I’d definitely plant a few fruit trees (although I’d probably have moved by the time they actually bore any fruit) … I’ve seen the way fruits are sold here in Bombay – all packed up on the street / market area with flies, insects and lord knows what else around them and it gives me the shudders.  It’s actually scary that people eat it !! I make sure to scrub the fruit until my hands ache just to make sure all the germs and pollutants are off them !

Are you a fruit person ? Have you ever eaten home grown fruit or vegetables ? If you had a garden – what fruit or vegetable would you grow ?  Have you ever tried to make your own fruit jams at home ? Any fun recipe you’d like to share ?

Protect Your Skin From Sun and Pollution

By Ravina Rawal For Men's Life Today 

The weather's getting all hot and smoggy, and you're wondering how your skin deals with the pollution our cities seem to be breathing under. Common sense tips certainly include the basics – like drinking lots of water, getting some exercise, a healthy diet and enough sleep. But you definitely need a few extra tools to win the battle against clogged pores, increasing acne and photo-aging! Here are five of the best:

1. Cleanse!
Use a mild cleanser on your face at least twice daily. “If your skin is excessively oily, try a cleanser with salicylic acid, and use a toner to temporarily battle large open pores,” recommends Dr. Narmada Matang, Head Medical Operations for Kaya Skin Clinic India. “Also, what you may not know is that the contact time of the cleanser makes a difference. Use your fingertips and keep the cleanser on for just 30 seconds before rinsing it off again. The product may be mild, but you can dry out your skin if you leave it on too long.” Oh, and if you've got baby-soft sensitive skin, you may want to try a non-foaming face cleanser. Dr. Matang also recommends a using a scrub on your face once a week. And if you have the time for facials, they’re great every six weeks or so to tackle clogged pores, blackheads and dead skin, allowing shiny younger skin to come through, resulting in a great glow.

2. Get a Great Shave
There’s nothing like a smooth shave to make your skin feel good and look even better. But instead of hurrying through it every morning, take the time to prepare your facial skin first. Start by opening up your pores, to make the shave smoother. If you shave in the shower, your pores are already prepped. If not, soak a towel in warm water and apply it to your skin for at least a minute. Next up: shaving cream. Remember to leave this on your stubble for a good two minutes so it has time to work, and you don’t end up with razor burn. When you’re done, wash up with cold water to close your pores, and pat dry.

3. And Then, Moisturise
You must moisturise after shaving. The beard area is especially prone to folliculitis and dryness, so moisturising needs to become an essential part of your daily routine if you want your girlfriend to go gaga over your soft skin. Can’t bear the grease? Try a water-based moisturiser.

4. Seal + Protect: Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
This is our TOP tip. One of those slightly painful, but absolutely essentially additions to your morning routine. Shave, shower… sunscreen. “The most important thing you have to remember about protecting photo aging of the skin, is that the earlier you start the better, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors” says New Delhi-based consultant dermatologist Dr. Sanjiv Kandhari. He believes you should be using sunscreen irrespective of your age or season (it is just as important to protect yourself in the winter as it is in the summer). Get a good sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15, with both UVA and UVB protection. Slather it on every morning, and if you’re going to be outdoors a lot, reapply it every two-three hours. “There is a new finding that indicates that not only are UVA and UVB rays harmful, but also visible light,” says Kandhari. “They’re not available in India yet, but top skincare brands have started introducing sunscreens that covers the whole spectrum, including visible light.”

5. Look Hot, Stay Cool
An often-neglected area on the face is the skin around the eyes. If you don’t want to end up with those fine crinkly lines that we call ‘crow’s feet’, invest in a pair of large and funky sunglasses, and you’re good to go!

Ravina Rawal is the editor-in-chief of youth magazine MTV Noise Factory, and has contributed to many of India's best-known lifestyle publications, from Cosmopolitan to India Today Travel Plus. She lives mostly in New Delhi, and sometimes in Mumbai.  Follow her on Twitter @RavinaRawal

Cosmetic Laser Treatments On The Rise

If I could have joined the bandwagon of people using laser treatments for cosmetic purposes 10 years ago (for me specifically laser hair removal) – I would have ! Alas my mother at the time wanted to see these treatments ‘tried & tested’ on others before she let me get anything done.

This might be a bit too much info but I’m going to share it regardless.  A couple of months ago, I went in for my first ‘cosmetic treatment’ – which was laser hair removal for my underarms … and honestly, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made !!  I’ve had 3 sessions and the hair growth has reduced by 80% and that’s awesome !! For someone like me who doesn’t like to have body hair and has confessed to waxing being a guilty pleasure – this has been nothing short of a miracle for me !

Nowadays, all I see in the papers or any online emailers that go out are all promoting various cosmetic laser treatment whether its targeting women (and men) for laser hair removal; people who have Acne scars and want to get rid of them by way of spa therapy and laser & light treatments that may or may not combine photodynamic therapy (PDT).  Over the last 8-10 years there’s been a large increase in the number of adults seeking acne treatments and most of them go in for laser treatments.

Just yesterday I was reading about non-invasive laser treatment to reduce Melasma (I had to look that up) on Asian skin offered by company called Reveal Medspa; and then saw an offer online for microdermabrasion to ‘lighten the skin’.   Basically melasma is a very common patchy brown / tan facial skin discoloration that happens to women aged 20 – 50 years old (particularly those who are pregnant or on the pill)   It tends to appear on the cheeks, upper lip, forehead and chin; there are over the counter medications and creams that can be used to help reduce the melasma; and for more severe cases, it can be treated with chemical peels / exfoliation, microdermabrasion and laser therapy. 

At least I learned something new today (and maybe melasma is the reason my mom never wanted me to get on the pill hmmm) … What are your thoughts about cosmetic laser treatments ? Have you ever had anything done such as laser hair removal or any sort of chemical peels ? Would you consider getting one done ?  Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

It's A Hallmark Holiday

Say what ? A Hallmark Holiday ? You must be wondering what drug I’m currently on … The day that couples and lovers gush over each other and shower one another with gifts, chocolates and whatever else that is deemed romantic.

p.s if you haven’t guessed – it’s Valentine’s Day  .. but really and truly it’s just another day which has been overly commercialized and I’m not trying to be cynical here .. when you get down to thinking about it – it is in fact a commercial day.

Earlier today I read a post titled  ‘Cupid’s Price Tag’ and I could completely relate to it – it’s as if the author read my mind and wrote down my thoughts.  The way the way prices rise during the week of Feb 14th is unbelievable – and I’ve noticed this across countries over the past 10 years..  Restaurants double (if not triple their rates) for a 3 course meal; flights get more expensive; the same gift sets you see available tend to go up in price during Valentines .. it’s really a very commercial day.

I’m a spontaneous person and I don’t need a specific date in the calendar to tell me when I should show and exaggerate my affections to someone – when really – I could do it any time, any day of the year.  Shouldn’t we be able to do that without being pressurized into making this one day so ‘perfect’ ?

What are your thoughts about this ? Do you think V-day has become a commercial day ? Do you feel any sort of pressure to make the day somehow stand out for your partner if you are in a relationship ? Or are you the type that doesn’t really feel the need to celebrate Valentines day ? I’d really love to hear your thoughts on this. 

Further Reading:

1. Cupid’s Price Tag by Emily Anderson of The Thrifty Social Worker
2. Putting a Price Tag on Love
3. Singles seek something special on Valentine's Day
4. What the Average Man Spends on Valentine’s Day by Andrew Daniels for Men's Health News
5. Bottom Line - Stores play with our hearts, wallets on Valentine's Day by Marisa Taylor

MM #76 Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know

Here’s a new track I heard this morning courtesy of my mate Mr Man in London who shared it on FB.  There was something about it that just appealed to me (and I will admit I had to pull up the lyrics on azlyrics.com just so I could follow it .. remember, me and lyrics don’t go so well together).

After hearing the lyrics (ok fine reading the lyrics whilst the song was playing) – I knew this would be perfect.  How many times have you related a piece of music to someone in your life and then thought ‘really – you did this after all we’ve been through ?’

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.   PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

 

 

Who Wants Some Popcorn ?

Last night, my girlf AM and I went to the cinema to catch a flick and ended up watching the late show of Warhorse.  This was a fab movie and it would have been better if I could have enjoyed a hot bucket of buttered popcorn or even a spicy jalepeno with cheddar popcorn (which clearly the cinema didn’t have)

I got home still feeling like I was craving something and it struck me that it had to be the popcorn.  Like any regular person, I enjoy my share of popcorn .. so much so that I always have a few packets of the instant microwave popcorn at home … and last night we started talking about how cool it would be if we had our very own popcorn machine !

One of my mates in London has a mini-theatre room in their house, fully kitted out with cinema style recliner seats, a 10 x 15 ft screen, mini-fridge and a popcorn machine !!  The machine that he had was a 4 oz. one – considered ideal for use in homes, home theatres', and game rooms.  I wouldn’t know how many times I’d ever really use it – but having your very own fresh popcorn maker at home .. now that would be pretty sweeeeeeeeet !!

Last year in June – a bunch of us went to my mate AM’s place for his b’day and the building complex has a mini-cinema room for the residents to watch DVDs etc. complete with cinema style seats.  We were all so glad that we carried instant popcorn packs with us because the experience just wouldn’t have been complete without it.  Now had that mini theatre had a popcorn machine – we would have been totally set ! (and it would have saved us having to keep going up to his flat to make fresh popcorn !)

All this damn popcorn talk has got me craving hot buttery popcorn that make you wanna lick your fingers after you’re done !!  I better go check if I have any left at home.  What about you – are you a fan of popcorn ?  Have you ever thought about getting your own popcorn maker at home ? Would you ever consider getting one ? 

Take Your Scent From Day to Night

By Thomas Farley For Men's Life Today

In the Will Ferrell comedy Anchorman, Paul Rudd’s character proudly proclaims that his cologne -- Sex Panther -- is “illegal in nine countries.” He goes on to brag about its lady-killing qualities: “They’ve done studies, you know. Sixty percent of the time, it works … every time.”

If your cologne has similar powers, you’re a lucky man. But seducing the ladies is probably not uppermost in your mind when you splash your scent on in the morning -- and it shouldn’t be. You’ve got to get through the workday first. The ideal, of course, would be a one-stop cologne solution for day and night. Something that, as Mehdi Lisi -- senior fragrance development manager for International Flavours and Fragrances -- says, would make you “feel fresh and clean in morning, go through the day feeling energized, and then become a machine of seduction at night.”

Unfortunately, chemistry -- both that of our bodies and that of cologne itself -- makes the one-application goal somewhat elusive. Made up largely of alcohol, cologne begins evaporating immediately upon touching your skin. As your body temperature warms, it dissipates even faster. By the end of the workday, chances are it will be long gone. So what’s the man in search of an all-day, all-purpose cologne to do? The experts have a few suggestions.

Most importantly, do not douse yourself with vast quantities of cologne to make it last. “Your office colleagues will kill you,” says A.J. Jones, from the Nickel Spa for Men in New York. It’s far better to reapply later in the day than to go too heavy in the morning. And this should go without saying, but if you’ve hit the gym on your lunch break or after work, you’ve got to shower before reapplying cologne. Otherwise, you’re only going to exude a nasty mash-up of sweat and scent. Jones also suggests using multiple products -- such as body wash, deodorant and aftershave or cologne -- from the same label. This will deliver the same scent to different parts of the body and in different intensities.

And there are ways to give your cologne a fighting chance at making it past the 5 p.m. whistle, says Sarah Horowitz, owner and chief perfumer of custom fragrance company Sarah Horowitz Parfums. For one, if you pour a bit into your hands and clap, it will help burn off the alcohol and reduce the cologne to its signature (and longest-lasting) elements. Another stratagem Horowitz offers is to layer the scent by applying it to places that will retain it longer: “Your skin radiates heat, but hair does not. Put some cologne on your hands and then smooth it into the back of your hair or onto your beard.” You can also dab a little on a jacket or shirt -- providing you’ve rubbed it into your hands first. Whatever you do, don’t spray cologne directly onto your clothing. You might smell good, but that big stain on your shirt will likely mitigate any positive effects.

And what of the holy grail? Is there a cologne that will allow you to strike the right notes at varying times of day? Indeed, there is. Colognes that contain two contrasting scents, such as citrus and wood, can help you create different impressions, says Lisi. Citrus, which has volatile molecules, will express itself early; as your workday wears on, however, the citrus notes will wear out and allow the sexier, more masculine woodsy notes to make their presence known. Consider it a two-tier approach. There are many types of cologne out there that will give you this one-two punch. Lisi recommends Diesel’s Only the Brave, Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch, I Am King by Sean John and The One by Dolce & Gabbana.

Regardless of the one you choose, know that a signature scent is something by which people will remember you long after you’ve left the room. Choose and apply your cologne wisely: It will serve you well throughout the day and beyond. Overdo it, however, and you might start reminding people of a out-of-date TV reporter -- one with a zero-percent chance of impressing anyone.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/avisordesigns

Thomas Farley is a regular contributor to Men’s Life Today and writes frequently about careers and workplace behaviour.  A noted manners expert, he has been interviewed by all of the major television networks as well as The New York Times, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and others on the subject of contemporary etiquette. He is also creator of the blog WhatMannersMost.com and the host of “New York Insider TV.” Follow him @mistermanners and @newyorkinsider.

Are You Casting For An Audition ?

Over the weekend I was talking to my mate SG who is an actor & model and he was telling me about how it can be quite difficult and tedious to find out any brands that were casting for commercials.

We discussed various platforms available where one could perhaps find out about casting calls without having to go through an agent (which is quite popular overseas) and in India that's a little bit difficult. Whilst the industry is organized - it's not exactly systematic and its more about 'who knows who' rather than actually picking talent that's right for the job (that's my personal opinion).

One of my mates recommends TalentJug.com that features opportunities by third parties such as directors and talent agencies. At least it caters to an international market and I even found 3 agents from India with their casting on the site.

What I quite liked about the site is that both actors/entertainment professionals and industry pros' are able to sign up for an account. A personal account allows one to upload up to 50 images; audio & YouTube content; and a personal URL which is great value for money considering that the flat fee per month to access all of the websites features is only $5 a month !

It actually surprises me that such a facility is not available out here in India considering the size of the Bollywood fraternity and the fact that every other person wants to be an actor / model. There should be a one-stop shop for all those wanting to audition and be made aware of new roles / assignments available; as well as a location for agencies to just put forth their assignments.

Considering we're working in such a digital environment; I'm sure by utilizing existing platforms agencies and the local talent will save tons of time and money; models & actors will have access to casting opportunities in one space

Sexy Saturday : Top 10 Sexy Studs, v2

I started the Sexy Saturday meme quite a few months ago to add some spice to my very sporadic reflections.  A few months ago I put together a Top 10 Sexy Studs list and now it’s time to showcase a whole new series of eye-candy !

Ladies, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind ogling at these absolute hunks !

Cristiano Ronaldo	Patrick Dempsey
Orlando Bloom	Josh Duhamel
Ian Somerhalder	Paul Wesley
Anthony Gallo	Jared Leto
Pierce Brosnan	Hugh Laurie

That’s eye candy for you all ! Who else should be featured on this list ? Who gets your #SexySaturday vote ?

 

WW #56 : Spider Trees

WW #56 : Spider Trees

An unexpected side effect of the 2010 flooding in parts of Sindh, Pakistan, was that millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to escape the rising flood waters; because of the scale of the flooding and the fact that the water took so long to recede, many trees became cocooned in spider webs. People in the area had never seen this phenomenon before ... photo courtesy National Geographic

To know more :

1. Spider Webs in Pakistani Trees